


Two Lefts Make a Right

by oneawkwardcookie



Series: Song and Dance [2]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ballroom Dancing, Dancer!Eddie, Dancing, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pre-Relationship Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Slow Dancing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, only so much as that they haven't kissed in canon (as far as we know...), they're a little tipsy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 07:35:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26349436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oneawkwardcookie/pseuds/oneawkwardcookie
Summary: It starts as a way to heal, and, in a way, it does. After all, they've been dancing around each other for so long: why not dance together?
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Song and Dance [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040189
Comments: 17
Kudos: 144





	Two Lefts Make a Right

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tkreyesevandiaz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tkreyesevandiaz/gifts).



> This is for the absolute angel Zee, who not only writes fabulous fanfiction (both [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tkreyesevandiaz/pseuds/tkreyesevandiaz/works) and on [tumblr](https://zeethebooknerd.tumblr.com/)) but also is a fellow Bollywood aficionado and great friend!

His physiotherapist had suggested it, and, at this point, anything that would help him get re-certified and back to his job quicker was worth a shot. That’s why he’s standing at the reception of A to Z Dance Studios, chatting with the receptionist about what classes might work for him with his injury. He’s still in two minds when she suggests that he can poke his head into an ongoing class to see if it's something he thinks he could do. He takes her suggestion and directions, and heads to the end of one of the hallways, following the music.

There are a lot of people gathered at the back of the room, so it's easy enough for him to slip into the crowd, even if he does tower over most people. Everyone's attention is focussed on the three couples dancing in the middle, a lilting instrumental tune playing out as they ballroom dance across the wooden floor, hard shoes tapping out a 1, 2, 3.

He's been watching for a minute when he hears a voice call out across the room.

"Jenny, remember to keep your elbows up... that’s great!"

He's going to end up leaving with more injuries than he arrived with, given the speed with which he whips his head around in the direction of the familiar sound.

There, in a pair of black slacks and a plain white t-shirt, is Eddie.

The music comes to an end and there's a sudden bustling movement in the room, as another three couples take the floor and the music starts up again. His head is still spinning more than the dancers as he tries to work out what exactly is going on, why Eddie's here, how he's ended up where Eddie is.

Even though he's boring holes into the side of Eddie's head, the other man's attention is solely focussed on his students. He occasionally weaves his way between the moving bodies to correct an arm here, straighten a back there, all the while giving positive encouragements and a reassuring smile.

There's another flurry of movement, but this appears to be the end of the class. As he looks over the heads of the stragglers, he tries to find Eddie, but to no avail. Heading back to reception, he's greeted with a friendly smile that he's too impatient to return.

“So that class I just went into: what’s that?”

The woman glances at the timetable behind her. “That'd be ballroom dancing.”

By the time he leaves, he’s asked about the timings (the same time every week), if he needs any experience or to start from the beginning of the course (no, it's for beginners, with a different dance every three weeks) and whether there's the same instructor every time (yes, like clockwork: he's very reliable). By the time he leaves, he's signed up for weekly dance technique … and ballroom.

Friday rolls around again and he's relieved that he decided, at the last minute, to forgo the tie, because he really hadn't been paying much attention to the dress code when he was last here, and most of the students are dressed far more casually than him.

They also all seem to know each other, and he realises a little belatedly that this is ballroom. People dance in pairs. People sign up together, in _pairs_. A quick scan around the room confirms that he is, indeed, the odd one out, and with one minute left until the class is due to start, he knows he doesn't have a good chance of someone else walking in, or of him being able to get out with his dignity intact.

Eddie strides into the studio and claps his hands once, capturing everyone's attention.

“Right, everyone – today we’ll be learning the foxtrot. It’s similar to the waltz, and we’ll be doing the American Social version of this dance, which should be easy to pick up over the next few lessons. Get into your pairs and spread out across the room, and we'll get started.”

Eddie waves his hands and the room parts like a sea, leaving Buck red-faced and adrift in no man's land. No man, except Eddie, who's slowly walking over to him with a very confused look on his face.

“Buck” – he can only look at Eddie’s scrunched up nose – “what are you doing here?”

“I'm here to... dance. To learn, how to dance.”

He's stuttering, he knows, but he suddenly feels like he shouldn't be here.

“Alone?” There's an edge to the question that he avoids, in case it cuts at something he can't close up in public.

“Yes.” It's the most certain he's sounded to himself since he walked into the room.

“Okay, right.” Eddie's nodding, although it seems more for his sake than anyone else's. “You'll need a partner though.” There's a pause, and the room has fallen silent, people waiting on instruction and Buck waiting on Eddie.

“Follow me.”

Buck trails a safe distance behind him, but still almost bumps into his back.

“Maryse, can I ask that you dance with Buck today, show him the ropes, and Salma can help me with the demonstration?”

Buck tries not to be rude, to follow along with the small talk and guidance of the woman in front of him, and not step on her toes as they practice the foxtrot at half speed, but he can only pay attention to his original partner and the effortless way that Eddie moves: strong, smooth, in control, his voice carrying clearly across the room. Even once the demonstration is over, he can't tear his eyes away, which is why he isn't surprised when Eddie makes a beeline for him, giving Maryse her dance partner back.

“I have a class to teach.” It's the only warning he gets before Eddie's hands are on him and he's being slowly moved across the room, firm hands guiding him. Eddie dances at a half pace, accompanied by a vaguely familiar slowed down tune, every so often giving some direction or piece of advice to the room. He’s grateful that Eddie’s attention is on everyone else and not the way that Buck is definitely heating up where they are touching, or how they’re almost effortlessly in sync.

They’ve swept their way from one side of the room to the other when Eddie lets go of him. He immediately misses the contact.

“I need to…” Eddie trails off, looking out at the room instead of at where Buck is one step away from wringing his hands and reaching out. Giving himself a small shake, he nods, then, realising Eddie hasn’t seen it, “yeah, of course.”

Eddie must have had a word with reception about uneven class sizes or someone just so happened to sign up during the week, because he’s paired with a bubbly Indian girl in the next class. She’s far more skilled than him, and although his progress is slow, he can feel that he _is_ getting better. That’s why he’s not sure what to make of Eddie always coming over to correct them, or why he always ends up telling Buck to straighten up, with a hand on the small of his back or a soft grip on his shoulder, or adjusts his hold by wrapping his hand over his fingers, or tilts his torso with two hands on his waist.

He tries not to be offended, or flustered, but his partner giggles silently at the way he always stumbles afterwards, her eyes grinning up smugly over black rimmed glasses as he brings his gaze back to her and tries to find his rhythm.

It’s only after the third lesson that he registers that Eddie always leaves as soon as the class is over, eyes flitting to the clock in the last few minutes before Eddie grabs his bag and bolts for the door.

The next time, he rushes over to grab Eddie before he can escape. “Where do you always run off to?”

Eddie breathes out a sigh when he realises who has a hold of his wrist and smiles gently at him. “Come on.” Eddie’s already out of the room by the time he understands that Eddie meant for him to go with him. He spots him heading along the far corridor and catches up as he walks through the door of one of the other studios. Buck notices the sounds of crutches clicking and wheels slightly squeaking on the wooden floor, amongst the bunch of children leaving their lesson, and sees Chris only a second after Eddie does, although the other man is already jogging over to scoop up his son into a boisterous hug, placing a loud kiss on the side of his head before asking him how his class went.

“It was great! Mrs. Collins said I’m doing a lot better at the stretches.”

“Of course you are, superman.” Eddie is beaming at his son as he sets him back down on the floor.

“Buck!” It’s his turn to grin and head over, running a hand through Chris’ hair and chuckling out a hello as the boy wraps his hands around his waist in a tight hug.

As they head out to the parking lot, Eddie explains how he ended up here because of Chris. Similar to Buck, it was part of his physio recommendation. Eddie had taken ballroom lessons for his wedding and surprisingly enjoyed it, so he ended up doing a course whilst he was at the academy, and got certified to teach. He only gives lessons at the same time Chris has his classes, which is why he’s always barely on time to get started and leaves as soon as the hour's up.

Buck notices the sadness starting to creep into Eddie’s posture at the mention of Shannon and his past, and brings a hand up to Eddie’s shoulder.

“You’re a great dancer, Eddie.”

The thanks he gets in response is tentative, although he senses the real impact of it when they hug goodbye; a firm enough grip on his shirt that he feels it even when he gets back into his Jeep.

They've all been out for drinks and, although no-one’s had many, the fact that Chris is at Abuela's for the night means that both he and Buck are berating everyone for their attempts to leave.

"Maddie, what's your excuse? I know the Hen and ‘ren gotta go back to Denny, but _you_ don't have to go!" Buck is grabbing her hand at the same time as he drapes himself over Chimney's shoulder and talks into his ear. "Chim, dude, come on! The night is _young_ and you are... not old."

Chim winces and wiggles a finger dramatically in his own ear, rolling his eyes as he deadpans, "real persuasive there." 15 minutes later, it’s just the two of them left at their table. They have another drink, sipped slowly over a meandering conversation, before Buck exclaims that he wants to go for a walk along the pier. It's a nice night so Eddie can't complain. He doesn't think he'll ever get over the ocean air or the way that, even though he can't see the stars like he used to, the city lights sparkle so much brighter than anything he's seen before. He's almost lost in his thoughts when he turns to see that Buck has stopped a few metres back.

“It's beautiful.” He follows Buck's smile to a small outdoor concert in the distance; a quartet of violinists seated under a small white pavilion, light streaming out behind them as a piano starts a twinkling melody. He doesn't know why, but his mouth has started moving before he can stop himself.

“Do you want to dance?”

Buck's full attention is on him now, his face a picture of confusion and nerves. Eddie continues to look at him until the expression melts, and Buck bites at his lip as he steps forwards. “Teach me.”

He walks him through a waltz, one hand softly resting on Buck’s side and the other taking his in a hold. He puts Buck’s brief shiver down to a sudden breeze of evening air. With a slow side-step, he whispers out the steps, humming out the beats in time with the strings that drift through the night air. Buck keeps his eyes down and stumbles into him a few times, but he can't seem to pay attention to the bumps and bruised toes.

Once Buck’s got the hang of it, he looks up. Eddie sees the bob of his Adam’s apple, and he lets his eyes drag up slowly, across Buck's lips, before he sees that Buck’s eyes are flicking up and down.

“You're doing great.” He feels the iceberg of things unsaid settle under his tongue: even this feels too much like staring into the sun.

“Thanks. I've got a great teacher.” There's no one else around and he doesn't know what to do with that soft look that seems to have settled in Buck’s eyes. He thinks he might have it too.

“You make it easy.” He stops and Buck steps straight into him, immediately trying to take a step back but he pulls him in, tilting his head up to see how Buck looks back at him, pink lips parted for a second before his tongue flicks out to wet them. Buck’s breathing hard and he can feel it where they’re pressed together, so close that they might as well share a heartbeat.

“I didn't know if you wanted this.” The music has stopped but his voice is barely a whisper. The way Buck tilts his head down gives him some confidence, though he's still glacial as he brings his lips up towards him.

It's a gentle brush, more tender than passionate, but neither seem willing to break apart. He loosens where they’re holding hands but is quick to bring his hand to join his other on Buck’s waist and hold him close. Buck twines his fingers around his neck and Buck's satisfied hum is all the answer he needs.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments don't make the world go round but they are super nice!
> 
> Will I just keep writing fics that revolve around music and slow dancing and dancer!Eddie... probably! 😝 Until they stop metaphorically dancing around each other, I'm just gonna make 'em physically dance around and with each other!
> 
> This isn't Bollywood!Buddie but only because Eddie teaching a 'Bollywood' dance class would be 🤨😐 In my head, they could very easily be dancing to an instrumental version of something Bollywood at the end 😅 Say, for example, [this](https://youtu.be/e_O7KA1_p2U)?😋


End file.
